Improvement in stease-heateks



@geiten tstrs'stst @frn WILLlAM SIMPSON, -OF ROSHERVLLE, AND WILLIAM HOWITT, OF NOTTING HILL, ENGLAND.

Letters Patent No. 76,534, dated April 7, 1868. v

. v IMPROVEMENT IN SITEAM-HEATERS. I

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it knowny that we, WILLIAM Smrsoruof Rosherville, in the county of Kent, England, and WILLIAM HOWI'IT, of Notting Hill, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Construction ofthe Roofs ofiHorticultural and other Buildings and Structuresg and Wedo hereby declare that the following is a fully and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying sheets of drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

At sheet 1, i Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly'in section, of our improvedroof'.

Figure 2, a transverse and vertical section through the line A B at iig. l. Figure 3, a top plan view ofthe roof, partly covered Ywith glass.

At sheet Figure 4 is an end elevation, and Figure 5 a side elevation of a roof` constructed according to our said invention on'the self-supporting principle, but diering from that represented at sheet 1 in the following respects, that is to say, instead of forming the principals of solid metal, we form them of tubes tting into vsockets transversely of the roof, and passing through the said sockets in a longitudinal direction."

Figures 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, respectively, exhibit detached parts, hereinafter particularly described andreferred to', The nature of our said invention consists in forming the principals of the roof of a semicircrular shape, or any portion of' a circle, the said principals extending across the width of the roof, and being supported by suitable supports or Walls. These principals we arrange at equal distances asunder, and connect them together by tubes of metal, the ends whereof have screws or'threads formed about them. These screwed ends arerintended to screw into corresponding-shaped screwed holes formed in the sides 'of the principals= so that upon turning round the said tube, the principals will be drawn towards each other; These tubes extend lengthwise of the building er root, and are placed about three feet apart around and between the semieircular principals before mentioned, and in this manner we proceedto'conuectvall the principals of thereof together, the said tubes Serving the double purpose of tie-rods and to carry Vthe sheets of glass or other covering ofthe roof.

For the .salie of economy We make the pipes or tubes straight, and the sockets we form curved. For example, from the springing ofthe roof we build up at convenient distances asunder, according to the size of roof, straight, short pipes, the bottom end ofthe first length ofpipe fitting in a hole in a step-piece l'ixed to the upright sides of the house. The upper end of this pipe dts into a hole formed in a socket-piece made in the form of a cross, and these socket-pieces We forni of the same curvature as the sweep of the roof; and supposing a semicircle to be described from the sides ot' the house, and the socket-pieces connectedtogether by the short pipes before mentioned, the semicrclc should cut through the centre of the diameter of thesaid several socket-pieces. Tubes ef metal pass horizontally through the several socket-pieces for connecting'the several principalstogether, and also for the circulation of hot Water over theroof. And We would here remark that the hot Water only circulates through the two outer principals, or those situated ateach extremity of the roof, the Water entering and passing through one of these principals, and, after circulating through the several horizontal tubes, passing through the other extreme principal, and Vreturning into the boiler, thus keeping up the circulation of the Water. For the intermediate principals solid straight bars or rods, of metal or other suitable material, maybe employed.

Roofs thus constructed may either be glazed, or covered with slates, or otherwise, according to the purpose for which the building or structure isrequiredK i To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our-invention, We will proceed to describeits construc-l tion as follows:

At sheet l, A A are semicircular prncipals,`of Wood or metal, placed about ten feet asunder. These prin-A eipals we connect together by tubes, rods, or bars of metal, B, screwed by their ends into theprincipals. The

drawing shows only threeprincipals, for the sake of convenience, but in long roofs there would of course be severa-l of such principals. Those at each extremity el the roof are made broader outside than the intermediate principals, for the purpose'ot` connecting thereto pieces of wood, C, screwed thereto :is at iig. 2, the said pieces C being employed to hold' the end sheets ot' glass by their edges in proper position upon the pieces B. To these pieces we fix pieces of wood a, by screws at Z2, and to these piecesot` wood we tix pieces of sheetmetnlnt c. The

panes of glass are then arranged, disposed,'-and fixed as follows: Beginning at the bottom of the principals, we place pane rof glass No. l, and turn the piece of metal, c, over the top edge of the pane. No. 2 we rest on'the metal,

c, and turn'the next piece of metal c over the top edge ofthis secnd pane, and in this manner we proceed to tix allone row of panes of glass, and by the side of these -paues we arrange and fix another row ot' panes, with their edges touching the edges of the other row, and finally, we cover the edges of the penes with a strip ot` metal, D, to make a weather-tight joint, and inthis manner we proceed to cover the principals of the roof. E

are hinged flaps for ventilation; G, wall-plates, serving also as gutters to carry ed water. These pltes rest on pillars or walls, which may have glazed openings or windows, and doors, as also the ends of' the roof; and in constructing roofs intended for horticultural purposes, the tubes B muy be used as channels for hot water. H' is the ridge-board or" the roof.

1 We new proceed to describe the construction of roots represented at sheet 2, as follows:

Atig. 4, A A are dwarfwalls for supporting the roof; B are stepsbolted to the wall-plates C ut equal distonces asunder, as at iig. 4, according to the size of thereof; D are short lengths of straight pipes, and E E are. curved sockets, into which. the ends of the pipes D are fitted water-tight by turning down the ends of the pipes D, as at a, iig. 6. The sockets E E are also bored or turned true, to receive the ends ofthe pipes, which should fit tight therein, and be driven close up to the shoulders in the sockets.

It will be seen, upon referring to figs. G and 7, that the sockets are made with cross-openings, c c, to receive -other smaller pipes or tubes Gr G for tying the principals of the roof together, and for connecting thereto longitudinal pieces of timber, H, shown by dotted lines at fig. 5, and in cross-section at tig. 9, and to these pieces of timber bars of metalL, are bolted, top and bottom, the said bars being employed to receive panes of glass when the roof' is intended to be glazed, as Ifor horticultural and other buildings, through which the light required to pass. The panes of glass are alixcd by putty to the bars I, as at fig. 10, which is a half-size crosssection of-one of such said bars, and thc`panes of' glass in each horizontal row of panes lap one over the other, as denoted by red color at (Z, 9, pieces of sheet metal, e, being aiixed te the pieces H, at the parts where the bars I are situated, so that by bending up the pieces c, the bottom edges of the projecting panes `of glass will be supported and prevented from slipping downwards. -lVe would also remark that the sockets E', situated at the centre and top el` the roof, and which extend the entire length ofthe building, have their cross-openings, c c, made larger than the openings in thc sockets E, for the purpose of connecting a larger horizontal pipe at the top of the root` for carrying the ridge-board and friezc, aud-for hinging the top ventilators thereto, as at K K of fig. 4. The opening and closing of these ventilators we propose to effect by means of bent levers, L, each working on a fulcrum or axis atf. The bent ends of the lever L are connected to the framework ofthe glazed ventilators at y, fig. el, and the straight part oi' each of the levers L is connected to a chain, 7L, passing over a, pulley, z', fixed to the door-posts o'the house. The lower end or the chain a is made fast to the end of a screw, The upper end of the said screw is formed square, and works in a square guide-hole in the part 1 ofthe casting M, and the screw .7c passes through Athe screwed boss of thevmitre-wheel, l, to which rotary motion is imparted by a corresponding mitre-whcehn, on the axis ot` which a handle, n, is lixed. By turning round the 'wheel n in one direction, the screw cwill be advanced downwards, thereby pushing open its corresponding ventilator. A reverse movement will close the ventilator.

Te new proceed 'to describe the means by which the circulation of bot water is `effected through some oi' 'the tubes, pipes, and sockets ot` which the framework of the root` is formed, observing that the hot water enters fand passesY through the pipes and sockets situated at one extremity of the roof, and passes out through the 'pipes and sockets at the other extremity of the roof, the induction and eduction-pipes extendingdownwnrds below the springing of the roof as far as is necessary to complete' the circulation of the water from the ,boiler of the hotwater apparatus. And incrder that the water may pass from the pipes into A:1nd along the horizontaltubes, we cut a hole inthe part ofthe pipe which passes through the sockets which are at each end ofthe roof, and we connect the pipe to the sockets in the manner exhibited at Figure 11, where O marks a short length of tubing screwed at each end, and with a hole eut out. At 2 3 4 are screw-nuts and collars, which, when screwed tight against the bosses 5 of the socket'E, securely fix the piece O in the socket, and connect the next length of tubing thereto. 'lhe tubing that passes horizontally through the sockets ofthe several intermediate principals does not allow the water to pass up the said principals, and the said tubes arc simply connected in lengths to the sockets by screwed collars and nuts, as before mentioned. Tubes,P, may be connected to the several sockets at the ends of the roof, the lower ends resting in steps fixed to the wall-plate, and to these tubes pieces ofwood may be fixed as before stated, aud so made as to receive the glazing. It is also proposed Yto atlix an ornamentalfacia at each end ol` the roof, by screws taking in to the ends of the tubes in the several sockets. The lowernlost row of panes may be mounted in frames between each principal, and be fixed on hinges, se as t'o serve for ventilation.

The frames being all connected together, may be either opened or closed at oneoperation.

Roofs constructed on the above principle maybe covered'with sheet metal, wood, slates, or other materials, either wholly or in combination with glass.

The above description and drawings refer to horticultural buildings more particularly.

Having now fully described our invention, andthe manner of construction, we hereby declare that what We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

We claim constructing archerd or curved frames for the roofs of horticultural and other buildings, wholly or in part of metallic tubes D, united by curvedisockets E E, und so connected and arranged as to permit and facilitate a. circulation ofhot water through the same, al1 substantially iu the Ina-nner and for the purpose herein set forth.

WM. SIMPSON, WILLIAM HOWITT.

Witnesses:

BENJ. BROWNE, 49 King William Street, E. O'., G, F. WARREN, No. 17 Gracechm'ch Street, .Kami/012,16. C'. 

